What you should know before your next interview

Earlier this month I wrote a blog on how you can use social media to increase your efficiency when job hunting online, as well as tips on how to improve your resume.

Hopefully you are employing those tactics and will soon be going in for a job interview.

I know this might sound crazy, but I love interviewing for jobs – everyone else seems to hate it. I think some people stay in their job far too long because they dread this one professional interaction.

As a former champion impromptu competitor (yeah I was that nerd), the recent hirer of an intern (hey – unpaid still means I had to pick a candidate), and a generally positive person I think I have a little to offer on this topic.

So here is the first thing you need to know about the interview process. The person that is on the other side of the table has barely looked at your resume, they know that you have the basic skills they are looking for and they want to hire you. They are just looking for reasons to hire you. What they are most concerned about is if they like you and want to see if will get along with them, the team, and the corporate culture. That is why it is so important to know that you are there because you are qualified, so RELAX! Let your cool and awesome personality shine through so they can see that they are going to like you … a lot.

The second thing is prepare for the interview! Don’t just read about the company on their website, that was written by some PR person (I can bash – I am one of them). Instead, check out who you are connected with on Facebook or LinkedIn that either works there, or knows someone that works there. Get an introduction if necessary and ask if it is ok to call or email them so you can learn more about the company that you are interviewing with. You may find out stuff about the culture that will make you decide that it might not be the place for you (or that they offer four weeks of vacation, cover education, and basically fulfill your every desire).

Third, stalk your potential future boss. Social media is there for a reason, check them out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. Find out where else they have worked, see if you can find someone on LinkedIn that has worked with/for them before.

And finally, the best way to prepare for the actual interview is to run through the standard (and not so standard) interview questions that you might be asked. A good impromptu speaker comes in to a competition with an arsenal of jokes, short stories, and simple anecdotes that can be used in any situation. You should be doing the same, Google a list of common interview questions – odds are, the person interviewing you Googled the same list, and thoughtfully consider how you would answer these questions.

Got get ‘em!!